Israeli deaths mount in Gaza as Tel Aviv plans ground withdrawal
The Cradle | December 24, 2023
At least ten Israeli soldiers were killed in intense battles across the Gaza Strip on 23 December, bringing the official death toll for this weekend to 14 soldiers.
Five soldiers in the Combat Engineering Corps and an army medic were killed by an anti-tank guided missile in southern Gaza, the military said. Four others were killed in explosive attacks carried out by the Palestinian resistance.
“Ten soldiers were killed on Saturday,” the Times of Israel reported on 24 December.
The army announced the deaths of four other soldiers on Friday, 22 December.
Since the launch of a full-scale assault into Gaza, the Israeli army has admitted to the deaths of 153 soldiers. However, hospital records indicate that Tel Aviv is significantly underreporting casualties.
Israel’s Channel 13 reported three days ago that the army’s elite Golani Brigade withdrew from Gaza following 60 days of fighting to “reorganize its ranks” after facing unprecedented losses.
According to retired Israeli general Moshe Kaplinsky, the Golani Brigade lost 88 soldiers since 7 October. Seventy-two were killed on the first day of the war – amounting to a quarter of the entire brigade, Kaplinsky said.
As Israeli casualties continue to mount, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority revealed this week plans within the government to switch to a new phase of the war “in the coming weeks,” bringing an end to ground operations and shifting the focus to continued heavy airstrikes on the Gaza Strip.
Local reports say the Israeli army has already begun withdrawing from specific areas.
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